Melania Trump demanded ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel after he called her "an expectant widow" in a monologue satirizing the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Kimmel made the remark on Thursday. Days later, a shooter opened fire at the actual dinner, injuring a Secret Service agent. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was taken into custody. Melania called Kimmel a coward and accused Disney-owned ABC of enabling "hateful and violent rhetoric." Right-wing commentators have called for the network to issue a full apology.
China's National Development and Reform Commission has officially blocked Meta Platforms' proposed acquisition of the domestic AI firm Manus. The NDRC issued a statement declaring it will "prohibit the foreign investment in the acquisition of the Manus project" and requires the parties to withdraw the transaction. The ruling follows reports last month that authorities had restricted two Manus co-founders from leaving the country. The decision reflects Beijing's efforts to maintain strict control over sensitive technology sectors.
Two trains collided late on Monday in Bekasi, a city adjoining Jakarta, according to officials. The collision occurred at Bekasi train station between a commuter line and a long-distance train. Rescue teams and ambulances were dispatched to evacuate passengers and crew. No casualties have been reported. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump. Allen allegedly fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday before being tackled and arrested. Authorities say he traveled from California to Washington carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and three knives. Prosecutors say he sent a message to family minutes before the attack in which he called himself a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and discussed grievances against the administration. The next hearing regarding his continued detention is scheduled for Thursday.
Jury selection begins Monday in Oakland federal court for Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, the AI company he helped create in 2015 as a nonprofit before pivoting to a commercial enterprise backed by Microsoft. Musk claims Sam Altman deceived him about OpenAI's mission, though his $134 billion claim was dismissed as speculative and his victory odds have dropped to roughly 40 percent. OpenAI says Musk departed after demanding absolute control and calls the suit a harassment campaign driven by ego and jealousy. The trial will determine if OpenAI breached its founding charitable trust obligations.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Monday for a state visit to the United States. The trip marks the 250th anniversary of US independence and the first state visit by a British monarch in two decades. It is proceeding despite a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and heightened diplomatic tensions over Washington's war on Iran. The King will address Congress on Tuesday, becoming only the second British monarch to do so.
King Charles III has arrived in Washington for a four-day state visit. Security concerns have heightened following Saturday's shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, which required President Trump's evacuation. He is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The visit coincides with the 250th anniversary of American independence and aims to reaffirm the often-strained the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States.
Iranian officials have rejected US claims of holding the upper hand, arguing Tehran retains significant leverage through Strait of Hormuz control and Houthi threats to Bab el-Mandeb shipping. Trump said Iran cannot reduce oil output and will run out of storage capacity, insisting the US holds all leverage. Iranian officials declined to meet his envoys in Pakistan but sent a new proposal through intermediaries. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran is in the process of "humiliating" the United States.
Brent crude surged approximately 2 percent to just under $108 a barrel on Monday, reaching a three-week high as US-Iran peace talks faltered. President Trump cancelled a planned trip by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for ceasefire discussions. Iran has submitted a new proposal to Washington outlining a path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies pass. Knight Frank halved its house price growth forecast for 2025 to 1.5 percent, citing higher mortgage rates and dampened buyer sentiment from the conflict.
EU deputy finance ministers met in Athens on April 27 to discuss cushioning the bloc from economic fallout as oil prices stay above $100 per barrel due to the closed Strait of Hormuz. EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis warned the bloc faces "stagflation" with spring forecasts to be revised downward in May. France faces the most severe political risk ahead of elections where the far-right National Rally could seize the Élysée Palace. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump faces a May 1 deadline under the War Powers Resolution as his approval ratings suffer from high fuel prices.
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer for allegedly opening fire at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner near President Trump. The suspect was stopped at a checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom where more than 2,500 people had gathered. A Secret Service agent was struck by a round but protected by a bulletproof vest. Investigators obtained a "manifesto" they say details a plan to target administration officials prioritized from highest to lowest. Trump called portions of the document "disgraceful" during a subsequent interview.
OpenAI has replaced its commitment to safely developing artificial general intelligence with a new mission focused on broad democratization of AI technology, according to an updated company document. CEO Sam Altman described AGI as a "ring of power" requiring broad distribution. The company announced a partnership with Customers Bank to embed AI engineers and slash commercial loan closing times from 30 days to seven. OpenAI also signed a deal with the Department of War after Anthropic refused unfettered military access to its AI.
Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz without requiring a nuclear deal, demanding the United States lift its port blockade, with Pakistan mediating the proposal to Washington. President Trump has insisted any comprehensive agreement must address Iran's atomic program. The standoff has turned away 38 ships and killed at least 5,884 people while stranding hundreds of tankers and choking roughly one-fifth of global energy supply. Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline is operating at maximum capacity of 7 million barrels per day. Gulf states are now accelerating alternative infrastructure projects.
Oil prices climbed to multi-week highs on Monday as US-Iran peace talks stalled peace talks and disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate futures both rose nearly 2 percent, with the waterway effectively closed for much of the past month. The strait handles approximately one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil, and the International Energy Agency warned the disruption is intensifying one of the most tumultuous periods in global oil markets in decades. US-Iran peace talks remain stalled, with both sides continuing to advance competing narratives about the breakdown of negotiations.
Microsoft and OpenAI have restructured their partnership, allowing OpenAI to offer products through rival cloud providers including Amazon and Google while maintaining Microsoft as the primary cloud partner through 2032. Microsoft loses revenue share but retains a non-exclusive IP license with products still launching first on Azure. The shift follows internal concerns the arrangement restricted OpenAI's growth, coinciding with the company's $50 billion Amazon deal. In a separate move, the European Commission directed Google to ensure rival AI services can access Android capabilities or face fines up to 10 percent of annual global sales.
Oil prices surged to three-week highs Monday after President Trump canceled plans to send envoys to Pakistan for Iran talks, citing internal disagreements within Tehran's leadership. Iran's Revolutionary Guard boarded two cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions in the critical energy chokepoint. Tehran proposed a ceasefire in exchange for reopening the strait and lifting the U.S. naval blockade, but administration officials indicated Trump appears unlikely to accept. Between 10 million and 13 million barrels per day remain withheld from markets, prompting Goldman Sachs to revise its Q4 Brent forecast to $90 per barrel.